Getting organized is a great idea and I commend you for making the decision to get started, now I want to make sure you reach your organizing goals.

Since you have come to a website about organizing you realize that you have an area or areas that need improvement. You already know that being unorganized is costing you time and money. But did you know that if you don’t work on your mindset along with making the actual changes, you are very likely to end up with the same piles of clutter and maybe even more – you know like when you go on a crash diet and end up weighing even more than before you started the diet – your clutter will do the same thing.

Your clutter is just a physical (and sometimes digital) sign that there is a problem. So while you need to fix the problem, you first need to identify the problem. Sometimes the answer is as simple as adding a [simple solution]. But if the problem is reoccuring or is reflective of other areas of your life you really need to look past the pile of papers and find out what is really underneath.

So now you know that making the decision to get organized is a great first step, but you also need to commit to looking for “deeper” solutions. Spend some time paying attention to when you add to that pile of clutter, what sort of items are they? Do they not have a permanent home? Are you unsure if you need to keep an item or if you can just throw it away? Has this pile of stuff just become a habitual dumping place? Looking at our habits can be a great way to identify what needs to be changed. One of my favorite books on the subject is The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. It may help you discover why you struggle with your current habits.

Another way to identify problem areas is to pay attention to your wishful thoughts. You know that little voice that says “I wish…” as you go throughout your day. For example, if every time you sit down at your desk and your think “I wish I had a more comfortable chair.” We all have these thoughts all the time and often dismiss them, but they provide us with so much information, don’ t just let them go anymore. Now, I’m not suggesting that you will fulfill every single wish, I’m telling you to pay attention to the wishes, you will ultimately have to decide what “wishes” to fulfill and which ones remain with the fairy dust.

So you need to pay attention to your habits and your thoughts and you will be so much better served when you actually get to the actual task of organizing.